Chapter 165 Zeng Guofan painted a river circle (8)
Zuo Zongtang received the order and was very worried. He wrote: "I have no other love for traveling thousands of miles to the west. However, the ship has not been completed. I am afraid that I will die in the middle of the journey, which makes me very anxious." Since the beginning of trade, Western countries have developed a contempt for China and have resorted to provocations to show off their strength. The most important task for the Southeast at this time was to build its own ships.
Hu Xueyan, the general manager of the grain station, said: "I have informed Zuo Shuai that the creation of the steamship is of great importance. It is an extraordinary achievement and cannot be done by anyone else." Once Commander Zuo left, the expenses could not be paid and the matter was finally ruined.
Zuo Zongtang said: Shen Baozhen, the former governor of Jiangxi, was able to do his job for a long time and concentrated on it. This man Ding You is here and living in the countryside to support him. I will pay him a visit immediately. Brother Xueyan quickly went to Shanghai to respectfully invite legal persons to sign the Italian and German monuments. The purchase, production and launch of all ship parts must be signed and guaranteed by the French consul in Shanghai.
Hu Xueyan said: "Please rest assured, Commander Zuo, regarding the purchase of paintings and deposits. I will go to Shanghai to make arrangements immediately." Commander Zuo's journey to the west will surely be a triumph; but once Commander-in-Chief entered Lu and suppressed Ni, will he be successful?
Zuo Zongtang said: During my journey to the west, I had mixed success and failure. There are four types of failure in purifying the old. First, twisting the cavalry's erratic wandering, overcoming the old and drawing the river circle. 2. The Hunan Army, which purges old people, is accustomed to besieging and depriving them of reinforcements. 3. Di Lao casually dismantled the remaining troops after hundreds of battles, which greatly chilled the morale of the army. 4. Huai Yong, who was reused by Di Lao, was Li Shaoquan's family army.
When Lai Wenguang, Zhang Zongyu and others entered Lu, they were pursued and intercepted by Liu Mingchuan, Pan Dingxin and Ding Baozhen, and they had to retreat to Henan.
Zhang Zongyu, the king of Liang, said: "Zeng Yao Baojia was sitting there, Lu Yu was fortified and the fields were clear, and we could not find food supplies. My brothers were all dead and poor, and there was no food supplies and soldiers to support them. There was no need to fight lightly. When encountering a powerful enemy, they ran away."
King Renzhu of Lu said: "My troops are excellent in cavalry fighting. I am willing to open a battle formation and fight to the death with the Huai demons."
Zhang Yujue, the king of Youwo, was not on good terms with Ren Zhu, and said angrily: "You are a reckless man, and you can easily be taken advantage of by monsters. We will follow the lead of the two kings of Zun and Liang."
Niu Hongsheng, King of Jing, said: King Lu's words are reasonable. Only by killing the monster can we get out of the desperate situation.
King Zun Lai Wenguang said: For the way of war, the probability of winning is 50%, so fight! We have no food supplies and are hungry. How can we fight? My idea is to divide into two groups, run quickly to avoid them, wait until the monsters are exhausted, surround them and kill them. Brother Liang led his troops to drive westward, making a long and circuitous route to enter Shaanxi. Together with the brothers King Lu, King De, King Wei, and King Jing, I unexpectedly marched into Shandong again, attacked the canal, and entered eastern Shandong in search of grain and resources. ; If there is a recurrence, drive away from the west to the south, pretend to enter Sichuan and Sichuan, and lure the monsters to chase them; when the monster spirit weakens, meet Brother Liang again and work together to kill him.
Tang Rirong, the King of Virtue, said, "His Royal Highness's words are reasonable. We cannot defeat this evildoer without traveling thousands of miles away." We competed in Luyu and captured most of the monsters; Brother Liang entered Shaanxi and united with the local rebels to act as a horn.
Lai Wenguang said: "King De, please don't tell lies. Shaanxi has been in war for years and there is not much food and supplies. Brother Liang does not need to go there lightly. He has to fight in the Central Plains and encircle and annihilate Zeng Yao before he can achieve his great cause."
At the end of October 1866, Liang Wang Zhang Zongyu and Youwo King Zhang Yujue led an army of 50,000 people and marched westward to Luoyang. Commander Lai Wenguang, the king of Zun, led most of the Nian army back to Shandong to attack and defend.
Zeng Guofan urgently ordered Bao Chao to lead Ting's army from Nanyang to the north. Liu Songshan, Liu Bingzhang, and Yang Dingxun secretly pursued Zhang Zongyu's troops. He also ordered Liu Mingchuan, Pan Dingxin, and Ding Baozhen to guard the front line of the Shandong Canal.
Zhang Zongyu was unable to attack Luoyang, and there were strong enemies on both the east and south roads, so he had to drive west from Shaanxi Province and enter Guanzhong.
Liu Songshan and others urgently reported to Zeng Guofan, hoping to pursue him across the border.
Zeng Guofan received the report and said: Shaanxi has been in civil turmoil for many years and there is no food to raise. Zhang Ni will definitely return; all departments must rush to prevent Zhang Ni from returning.
Zhao Liewen said: If our troops do not enter the Qin Dynasty, the Shaanxi army of Yang Yuebin, Liu Rong and Mu Tushan will definitely return to Zaodong to defend the provincial capital of Xi'an. Shaanxi and Gansu officials have too much time to take care of themselves, and they will definitely impeach the commander-in-chief.
Zeng Guofan said: "If we chase across the border, if we are not careful, the thieves will return to attack Henan. What should we do?" I will concentrate on the Ting, Hunan, and Huai tribes, first annihilate Lai Nian, and then send the army into Shaanxi? But if the siege fails, wouldn't it...
Zeng Guofan couldn't think clearly, and suddenly he felt a rush of energy running through his mind...
When Guofan woke up, he was already lying on the bed stiffly. He sighed and said, "My body is suffering from itchy skin and I can't control it. I will report to the two palaces immediately and ask for a vacancy for the co-organizer of the Grand Scholar Liangjiang Governor. The title I received will be temporarily cancelled, and please give me another brief." The imperial minister took over military affairs. I regard myself as a scattered member who stays in the camp to serve, and I do not take charge of the arrangements.
Zhao Liewen said: "Xiang Yong has many cuts, and it is difficult to control the flow. The commander-in-chief has not recovered from his illness. He has already taken leave before, and now he cannot hold on."
Zeng Guofan said: I am not a heartless person. I will continue to report the death of those who died on the water and land, and ask for mercy. Yan Jingming, the Fuchen of Shandong, and Ding Baozhen, the feudal lord, have clarified the administration of officials and emphasized the practicality of military affairs. Both of them are good ministers, so I will report it immediately. Please invite the two palaces to communicate with each other.
When Zhang Zongyu entered Shaanxi, Cixi was shocked and ordered Zuo Zongtang to rush to his post. He also said: Li Hongzhang was young and powerful and could restrain the bandits; Qiao Songnian and Li Henian also requested him. However, the selection of the governor of these two rivers is indeed difficult.
Empress Dowager Ci'an said: Zeng Guoquan impeached officials for being corrupt, mediocre, arrogant, bullying, favoritism, pampering servants, obstructing military affairs, swaying military aircraft, and purging the party's legacy. The discord between the governor and the governor will hamper everything; the suppression of bandits is urgent and will be of no benefit to the country.
Prince Gong Yixin said: "The two powers harm each other, whichever is the lesser. Zeng Guofan looks back on the two rivers and everything is fine." In addition, Zuo Zongtang asked the Minister of Shipping of Fujian to make a special memorial. Can he allow it?
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Chen Zongtang considered that shipbuilding was imperative and did not put it aside just because he wanted to leave Fujian. It is really Shen Yi who is promising and far-sighted. During Shen Baozhen's time in Fu Gan, both military strategy and official administration were outstanding. The country pioneered shipping administration, which was bound to be a difficult matter. The former Fu General was responsible for the affairs, and he was allowed to report the affairs specially, and immediately put a wooden seal on it to show his commitment. It is common for officials and governors to be impeached and the officialdom to be turbulent. Miansen, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and Tan Tingxiang, the minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, rushed to Hubei to investigate.
After the Empress Dowager Cixi finished speaking, she quickly issued an order to the cabinet: Zeng Guofan's honor had long since fallen ill due to overwork, and for the sake of truth, he would be given another month's leave to recuperate in the camp with peace of mind. The imperial envoy guarded Li Hongzhang as his temporary agent. Zeng Chen recovered as soon as possible and came to the capital to see his majesty for comfort. The imperial court's code of reward merit has a balance. This minister is following the ancients' self-deprecation. Please cancel the title for the time being. There is no need to discuss it.
